Monday, January 29, 2007

6:30 was early

My ESL class is only 5 students--really almost a perfect size.

I am reading my Chinese book, 101 American Customs. Here the English text from "Passing Out Cigars":

"In primitive ceremonies an individual blessed with the arrival of a baby shared his fortune with the community, to avoid the envy of both his fellows and the gods. The smoke of a proud papa's pipe drifting toward the heavens was a sort of appeasement to the heavenly powers. Today's father's distribution of cigars to celebrate the arrival of a baby maybe regarded as a modern variant of this ritual."

And "Demolition Derbies":

"Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in large arenas. The entrants pay a fee to drive their dilapidated autos into each other, and the last car moving is declared the winner. Demolition derbies reflect the Americans' fascination with cars and provide a form of entertainment whose main appeal is that of wanton destruction."

wow, that's really awesome. I may just order this book. Mark should maybe look into The Zombie Survival Guide, which this somehow reminds me of. And which he would like, possibly. I've found it quite engrossing.

Help Protect Bees

The work of pollinators (such as bees, butterflies, and humming birds) ensures full harvests of many agricultural crops and contributes to healthy plants everywhere...As landscapes are converted from wild to managed lands, many pollinators’ habitats may be destroyed or fragmented. More than half of the food we eat depends on bees and other animals for pollination. Most of the fruit and vegetable producing plants we rely on need honeybee pollination to thrive--which is why the disappearance of honeybees known as Colony Collapse Disorder is a critical environmental issue. To learn more about research for Colony Collapse Disorder, visit Pollinator Partnership.